Page 6 ■ Sunday, April 14, 2013 Enid News & Eagle Page designed by: Violet Hassler

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By Cass RainsStaff Writer

With more than 300 members it should beno surprise that Enid is recognized as theAMBUCS capital of the world.

“It just so happens Enid has fiveAMBUCS clubs,” said Kent Clingenpeel,National AMBUCS president and Enid AMAMBUCS member. “Enid is known as theAMBUCS capital of the world becausethere’s more AMBUCS in Enid per capitathan any other city in the country. Not only dowe have more people but we have a strongpresence at the national level, too.”

A little bit about what they doThere are thousands of AMBUCS mem-

bers across more than 130 chapters in theUnited States. The first chapter was foundedin Birmingham, Ala., in 1922 by William L.White.

The name AMBUCS originally was anacronym for American Business Clubs, but in1961 the acronym AMBUCS was officiallyentered into use by the organization. EnidNoon Club, the oldest in Enid, started in1926.

Members of the clubs support the scholarsand AmTryke therapeutic programs, as wellas conduct community service projects thathelp those with disabilities.

“All the different clubs have their ownfundraisers they do to raise money,”Clingenpeel said. “They basically spend theirmoney how they want to, donating to com-munity organizations, buying AmTrykes ordonating to the national organization forscholarships.”

Established in 1994, AmTryke LLC is acompany owned and operated by NationalAMBUCS Inc, according to the group’s web-site.

To date, more than 15,000 AmTrykes havebeen distributed around the world. Themajority of these trykes are purchased by vol-unteer members of the AMBUCS organiza-tion and donated free of charge to children inneed.

The unique tricycles, which can be handand/or foot operated, are designed to accom-modate riders of all ages, sizes and varyingdegrees of physical limitations.

Since 1955, National AMBUCS Inc. hasawarded scholarships to therapy students intheir junior or senior years of a bachelor’sdegree program or a graduate program lead-ing to a master’s or doctoral degree.

To date, more than $7.7 million in scholar-ships have been awarded to more than 14,000students pursuing degrees in physical or

occupational therapy, speech pathology andaudiology.

More than $150,000 is awarded annuallywith awards ranging from $500 to $1,500.There is one two-year award in the amount of$6,000. Award money is deposited eachsemester to the student’s credit account withthe financial aid office of the educationalinstitution.

‘I just wanted to get involved’Clingenpeel said when he joined

AMBUCS in the early 1980s he was justlooking to get involved in something to giveback to the community.

“I joined in 1982, not too long after Imoved to Enid. I joined the Enid AM Club,”he said. “In the beginning, I really didn’t

know much aboutAMBUCS, I just wanted toget involved in some kind ofcommunity service club.”

Clingenpeel had an olderbrother in the club, and heencouraged him to join.

“As the years went alongand I got more involved init. It just became a big pas-sion of mine to get more

involved because when we give away thosetrykes to those kids it’s absolutely incredi-ble,” he said. “The feeling I get, it makes mewant to go out and work harder to raise moremoney to buy more of those trykes.”

Clingenpeel said to join AMBUCS youhave be asked.

“The only requirement is somebody has toask you and that’s all there is to it,” he said.

“AMBUCS used to be an all-male organi-zation,” Clingenpeel said. “We startedbranching out, and women started gettinginvolved, and one of the cubs built the all-women’s club, the rest of them are all co-ed.”

With five clubs and hundreds of members,Clingenpeel said Enid is reknown for itsAMBUCS presence and the clubs’ abilities toaccomplish their goals.

“As I’ve been traveling around the coun-try, everyone knows the AMBUCS in Enidhas a very strong presence,” Clingenpeel said.

He said last summer at the national confer-ence in Oklahoma City a decision was madeto give away 103 AmTrykes at that conven-tion.

“Somebody in Enid said we’ll put thosetrykes together in Enid,” Clingenpeel said,noting they had about three weeks to get themdone. “We put 103 trykes together at theChisholm Trail Expo in about four hours.

“It was pretty incredible because I thoughtit was going to take eight to 10, and it tookfour hours.”

He said that accomplishment byAMBUCS members in Enid made him proudto be a member.

“For the most part, we just work reallyhard, and sometimes we play really hard,” hesaid. “When it’s time to get down and to getbusy, we all drop everything and get it done.

“It’s something I’m really proud of.”

Ryder Gibson, son of Brian and Christi Gibson from Oklahoma City, rides his new AmTryke during a Tour deTrykes event in Enid. Gibson, who was born with spina bifida, received his AmTryke from the Enid Noon AMBUCS.(Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)

AMBUCSprideNational club president,Enid member discoversservice to be ‘incredible’

Kent Clingenpeel